Branch, Louise, 1901-1959

Louise Branch (1901-1959) was the daughter of a prominent banking family from Richmond, Virginia. She lived primarily in New York City, and from 1931 to 1940 operated the English Bookshop on East 55th St., establishing an art gallery in its basement. After exhibiting a number of sculptor Malvina Hoffman's dance-inspired works in 1936, Branch began planning an international exhibition of artwork and dance performances. In the summer of 1937, she traveled to Europe seeking countries to participate in the event, which she hoped would "establish closer relations and better understanding among the nations." The exhibition, entitled Dance International 1900-1937, was held at Rockefeller Center from November 29, 1937, to January 2, 1938. Known as the "World's Fair of Dance," Dance International featured art, films, books, lectures, and dance performances from forty countries.

During the 1940s, Branch ran United Specialists, Inc., a company that produced educational films, particularly relating to animals and pet training. Branch was also a dog breeder and photographer, and in 1948 she collaborated with Blanche Saunders to provide the photographic illustrations for Saunders' book Training You to Train Your Dog. After World War II, Branch moved to Italy, where she lived until her death in 1959.

Sources:

Dance International 1900-1937: Exhibit of Arts Relating to the Dance: Catalogue, 1937.

"Louise Branch, 58, a Photographer," The New York Times, December 14, 1959.

From the guide to the Louise Branch papers, 1921-1949, 1937-1938, (The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.)